The newest and coolest place in Sofia, Constantinoff RestoBar
Constantinoff Restobar rating by the 5D Sensograph of placescases.com: 4.8 out of 5.
November 2019
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Constantinoff Restobar is the newest place in Sofia indeed, besides, as soon as you see it you can not pass it with indifference. It is exceptional in every aspect, and they are three altogether.
I accidentally stumbled upon Constantinoff one evening passing by. I was impressed by the party atmosphere inside and outside, the super hot interior and the next day I was there for lunch. I was concerned if there would be vacant tables. Fortunately, there were, but I am sure that soon this will not be the case anymore. The party and gourmet lions very soon will be aware about its existence.
Yes, that’s right, gourmet. This is the first important aspect of the place. The food is incredibly delicious and beautiful! This is what the first part of the word RestoBar means, comes from the word “restaurant“. The Chef is Mrs. Sidonia Radeva, a winner from the TV show Lord of the Chefs and at time she used to be very famous in Bulgaria.
As a party bar, which is the second important aspect, and the other half of the word RestoBar, Constantinoff impresses with high quality alcoholic beverages, but my seet spot are the cocktails. It really surprised me with something different and enjoyable, but what exactly, you’ll see further down in the category Feel… and Taste….
In addition to a party bar and a gourmet restaurant, Constantinoff is also a wine bar. But in this third aspect it is not just an ordinary wine bar. In a few sentences you will know why.
See ….
…. The interior is very attractive, with a lot of coziness and sincerity. You enter and see a large hall under a huge skylight, through which a generous amount of natural light enters, as if you were sitting in the yard- it was so bright and every detail was noticeable. A good gourmet restaurants needs just such a generous light to see the beautiful nuances on the plate. Read more about this in my post What is fovea and what does it have to do with gourmet?.
High chairs and tables as for a bar, but super comfortable- large, of leather, with backrest.
…. Very nice paintings in modern style, big old photos from Bulgarian cities in frames and something very important- natural plants in the pots;
…. Turned out there’s an underground floor. I was reluctant to get down, but I had to and it was worth it;
…. Super modern wine dispenser was waiting for me downstairs. 16 positions with selected white and red wines, maintained at a temperature suitable for each of them. This is the first wine bar of this type, which I see in Sofia;
The scheme is as follows. You take a card, you fill it with credit and you consume wine with it from the machine. You have an option for 3 types of quantities- a tasting of 25 ml, a glass of 75 ml and a glass of 150 ml. You pour your wine by yourself, or you may ask the waiter;
…. Besides the wine dispenser, there is a refrigerated cupboard with appetizing- looking good cheese, charcuterie and aging meat- Tomahawk steak, T-Bone and more, and also ham own production, “Shtastlivetsa” brand, but for them you can read in category Taste….
That’s right, Shtastlivetsa. The restaurant is owned by the same owners, the new ones who created their iconic place on the main street in the historical old capital Veliko Tarnovo, where the whole population of Bulgaria went to enjoy delicious meals and view to the River of Yantra. They have expanded out of the boundaries of Veliko Tarnovo and settled in an equally cozy and colorful place “Shtastlivetsa”, on the pedestrian Vitosha str in Sofia, where now the sequel Constantinoff is located. The names of the two establishments are related to one of the greatest Bulgarian writers Aleko Constantinov, whos alias was Shtastlivetsa, which means the Happy Man;
…. The open kitchen, where the diligent team of Sidonia and her sous-chef Ivan Atanasov from Tempero restaurant, is in charge;
…. A huge video wall that shows an animated nature footage;
…. And the last thing that impressed me, the sink in the rest room was carpentry workshop counter, old, used, with something like a residue from a vise at one end. However, because there were only hand dryers, some client had dumped the napkin on it because there was no trash bins. It’s good to have them.
Feel ….
…. During the day – a feeling that you outdoors with the abundance of light from the skylight, the huge video wall on the lower floor, projecting autumn leaves;
…. In the evenings, the party is well celebrated with quality cocktails and good sound;
…. Cocktail Indigo is truly remarkable. A dark drink arrives with gold powder on top, bubbling and smoking. What kind of volcano is that? I tried it- all freshness, lavender, chill and bubbles;
…. The waiters need more training– we were lost in communication several times.
I ordered two cocktails, they came at the same time, and I explicitly said that I would try one first and then the other. Thus, the second was awaiting my attention feeling neglected and it shrunk modestly, rather than demonstrating proudly its golden crown of foam. For dessert came a triple dose of profiteroles, instead of 3 pieces, as we had discussed. It was good that the waiters quickly offered to take back the excess portions and apologized. A little difficult was the issuance of the wine tasting card and we had to wait quite a long time for our wine. I have to acknowledge though, that these young people were striving to help and fulfil the desires of the customers. Each error was corrected relatively in time. I liked those young people and their endeavour to do well. I am sure they will learn very soon how to deal with the customers better.
One heart dropped not for all above described, but because they are not presenting the food properly. The restobar offers masterpieces in a plate, for which the client should be well informed. There’s much effort and passion invested in the food so this message should be passed from the very beginning to the customer.
Hear ….
…. The music was very cool, modern, interesting new interpretations of Amy Winehouse, Dusty Springfield, Caro Emerald, I heard also funk pieces. I loved it!
…. The sound system was very good.
Movie watching time: 3:30 min.
Smell ….
…. Truffle in the fluffy scrambled eggs- I am a big fan of eggs and when someone has made them so pleasant, I can not be indifferent. They were wonderful and really fluffy!;
…. Charcuterie with the brand “Shtastlivetsa” – wonderful aroma. We tried sudjuk, pastrami and Elena ham-uniquely good!
Dried hams like prosciutto crudo are something that I don’t like at all, because of the heavy smell of rancid and because of a gene that makes that havoc with the smell of pork to people like me. For this gene read more in WHY PORK CHOPS CAN SMELL UNPLEASANT? However, this Elena ham was perfect- not a hint of the unpleasant and weighty odor;
…. With the wine card, you can taste and inhale the aromas of various selected wines from all over the world and of course from Bulgaria. The dose of 25 ml makes it possible to enjoy more of them.
Taste ….
…. Very nice cocktail Indigo, this is the dark, bubbling with the dry ice drink in the movie, on the base of gin and prosecco. The other one I tried was The Golden Sour – with whiskey, biter chocolate, rhubarb and foam – beautiful with a true violet flower on top and delicious!;
…. Pork ribs- unique, with spices selected according to the Bulgarian taste, no copious sweet barbeque sauce, just salty and spicy. On the side there is only delicious homemade chutney. They smell great- a whole miracle for my nose!
…. Pizza- a thin slightly crispy on the end dough, with a lot of taste and aroma on top. My daughter who is very fussy about food liked it a lot;
…. The profiteroles, which were twice as much as the ordered, were also eaten with pleasure. They were topped by hot chocolate on top. See them in the movie.
Now attention, the next dessert is a surprise, because no one has dared to snatch from the French culinary treasure and use the name of the guru of the whole gastronomic world:
…. Melba Auguste Escoffier.
If you don’t know what this is about, read my review The dining experience in Savoy hotel at Kaspar’s, London and you will understand.
That’s right, this is the dessert Peche Melba, which maestro Auguste created for the first time in Savoy, London honouring the Australian soprano Nellie Melba. Broadly speaking, it contains a poached peach, ice cream and raspberry syrup.
I risked to order this sundae for my daughter, who eats only vanilla ice cream. To my surprise, she ate it all, with great pleasure without protesting the additional ingredients to the ice cream.
What was contemporary arrangement of this classic hit? The famous peach was not poached, as in the original recipe, rather was present as a modern beautiful yellow band of peach gel, wrapping a gentle home-made ice cream. The last one was recumbent on the traditional bedlinen of raspberry sauce. Great combination of colors, tastes and shapes!
Sidonia recorded so many positive points and not only from me, but from the pretentious children’s audience at our table.
Well done, Chef Sidonia, I’m so glad you’re daring, you stand up, you create, and you succeed. I’m looking forward to coming back to Constantinoff RestoBar and trying more dishes and cocktails!
How to get there?
Don’t worry about getting to Constantinoff Restobar in Sofia. Just use the Google map here by clicking on the red pin of its location and then select directions:
бул. „Витоша“ 31-33, 1000 Old City Center, София, България
A: 31-33, Vitosha blv, Sofia
T: +359 885 266 566
E: e-marketing@constantinoff-restobar.com
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